The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-08-02
CATERERS TO CATS.
One Of the Ways Of Getting . Living In
This Great World.

Portable livings as caterers TO cats.
This trade. while it extends somewhat
into the West End, does not flourish in
I the wealthy neighborhoods, where the
cats are often fed with dainty scraps
| from the table. In the East End, with
its 100000 of human beings closely
packed in single rooms in narrow
streets, there are no spare scraps from
the table. eve are obliged to eat
close" said Bethnal green woman to
me. ''Our cats get no dainties. The
old man or the young 'uns get the last
dainties and oftentimes the last
bones" A vast majority. therefore,
/ of the half million or more of London
cats have to live on boiled horsef1esh.
and the ''cats'-meat man" of whom !
am about to speak is the purveyor OF
this meat for the poor, middle and
lower-class cats of the metropolis.
An able-bodied cat can live comfort
ably on half pound of cats meat per
day. The cost of this meat at a cats
meat shop is penny per pound. If
the entire army of cats were supplied
with full half pound of meat it would
take abont SSS horses per day to keep
them supplied. as the average product
of meat of dead horse, am told, is
| about 800 pounds. A considerably
smaller number of dcfunct horses than
this is made To go round, owing to the
skill pf thp c1tS'-mpat man
1.-The greatest hart is in the cutting
up," said an experienced cats'-meat
artist to me last Friday nj ht.
"You tell me-" said /, s'that you
have a route embracing 500 customers,
and that You use one hundred weight
Q12 pounds) of meat day. Now how
do you cut up hundred weight into
600 half pounds"
"Well, You see a nice dry piece of
meat is better than hunderdone; il looks
more on the skewer. Between two bits
O. nice and dry we clasp little bit O.
rough, and odds it up on the skewer.
and the customers say. That is some
thing like a rosy 'aporth, Mr.. Cats
N1cdtAudhs hC HdhJ Sits W InSlhC
five ounces look as much like 'alf q
pound as possible. Some men adulter-
ates Their meat, but l don't do that I'M
less meat is very scarce"
"Adulterate the meat" / remarked
with surprise. "what meat is cheaper
than horse-fesh?'
"Why, lights is cheaper; bullocks'
lights. We buy 'em seven pounds for
threepence (six cents) all 'ot and fresh.
But the trouble with the lights is the
cats don't like 'em. We as understand
the ropes do our best to cultivate their
taste by throwing a bit down to see if
they will eat it, but cats are getting
that dainty as 'alf of 'em won't. If a
cat don't eat it, of course we can't put
none in the meat. We ave to be very
hartful or else We should never get on"
The man who thus addressed me was
seated on a bench in little back work
shop in court not far from Shoreditch
Church. He is said to be one of the
most popular purveyor of cats meat in
London, and is known among his class
as "Wag." He is a good-natured fell
low and something of wit in his way.
On his head he wore a saucy billy
cock, and around his throat In place of
the customary neckerchief was a collar
and scarf, ornamented with a large
silver pin in imitation of q stirrup.
His waistcoat was long. with double
row of buttons. His manner was that
of the regular cockney type, with a
dash of the artful dodger. When /
entered Wag was busily engaged in
making skewers for the next days
trade. Offering him cigar, which he
examined carefully in order to be sure
and light the right end, the CONVERSE
ton was continued.
'Is the cats meat business a profita-
BILE oneP" ''Middling. so I think. 1t
all depends, you see, on what kind of
walk you ave. The 'orse slaughterers
or knockers, as we call 'em, have all
gone into one large company, and that
has done away with competition, ex-
cepting with country and foreign
meat"
Then foreign meat comes into Lon
donP''
''Sh, yes. 1t comes all the way
from the north of England, Scotland
and even 'Amburg in Germany. But
the foreign and country meat don't
suit the happetite of the London cats.
What they like best is fine old London
TRAINERS or drayers. 'Ansom cab
'orsss are not to be despised, though
the WORKOUT and broken-down 'growl-
err is little relished by the class of cats
as l serve"
How much can you make a week."
"Well. that again depends on the |
walk. There are two 'undred, one
'undred, 'alf hundred and quarter